If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Hi Unregistered. Please take a few moments and read the following thread:
Click to read

The "only female ever to earn the Green Beret"

This should get interesting.

Soldier Says Weekly Standard Defamed Her

FAIRFAX, VA. (CN) - The Weekly Standard defamed a soldier in an article that claimed she was booted from U.S. Special Forces training for cheating, and falsely reported that she "never spent a day in an actual Special Forces unit," Kathleen Wilder claims in Fairfax County Court. Wilder, who says she is the first and only women to earn a green beret, demands punitive damages from the magazine and its writer, Michael Fumento.

Wilder says the allegedly defamatory article was published on March 5, 2007, under the headline, "The Democrats' Special Forces Fetish."

She claims the article falsely reported that during her final week of training in 1980 "'she and two male students were caught caching their rucksacks. That is, she and her compatriots were not carrying the rucksacks as required by the instructors, but hiding them to pick up at a later time and date. ... All three were dropped from the course, ostensibly for cheating."

Wilder says she "was not dropped from the program for cheating." She says she was "the improper target of a false accusation which was thoroughly investigated and discredited."

Wilder claims the Standard falsely reported that "the only green beret ever awarded to a woman came from a judge." She says she won her beret after an investigation by Gen. Donn Starry, Commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, who "concluded that the Plaintiff had been subjected to material unfairness when she was declared a nongraduate and that she deserved to graduate. The decision to overturn the decision of the Director of the Special Forces School did not come from a court or a judge, as stated and published by the Defendants, but from a superior commander as a result of a thorough investigation."

Her complaint continues: "In the article, the Defendants falsely stated that the Plaintiff 'never spent a day in an actual Special Forces unit."

Wilder says, "The Plaintiff spent four years in Special Forces and two of those years were spent with the 5th Special Forces Group."

Now for those not familiar...

Wilder is allegedly the only female to have ever been given a certificate of completion for Special Forces, or for that matter been allowed to attend the school. This happened in the 80s.

Basically it was a mistake compounded by her conduct, which led to a court trial. This led to a bigger mistake made in an attempt to put the first mistake behind and close the incident forever. Of course there's more detail but I don't have the time for it right now.

Long story short she earned nothing and does not have the respect of the people who would have been her peers if she'd earned anything.

Recently Wilder has been getting political and touting her career in the Special Forces.

No shit the QPs have been watching this develop for some time. Now with this going to court it should get very interesting.

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved. - Confucius

Re: The "only female ever to earn the Green Beret"

Originally Posted by Mortarman11c

The only real woman allowed to wear the Green Beret and beloved by all the nam SF'ers was Martha Raye, and hers was honorary.

Real woman or not Kathleen Wilder was awarded the school (course completion certificate), and did wear the beret. Wearing the beret doesn't make her an SF soldier any more than wearing a maroon beret makes anyone a paratrooper, or a black beret (especially now) an elite or even professional soldier.

There are people far better qualified than me to make statements on this, and they have and are. For example the link you posted. I can only do the research so far into the SF world, as it should be.

I'm thinking her recent attempts at a political career and political endorsements, coupled with statements about her earning the "Green Beret" from the mean mens club has resulted in unwanted attention. From men who don't forget.

"When I was in the Special Forces, I can tell you, when they speak of Jim's article, believe me, the men were disgruntled by having us in the military. It was a tumultuous time," said retired Col. Kate Wilder, who says she was the only woman ever to serve as a Green Beret.

I believe she's now made a huge mistake thinking she can bluster through this.

Know this as well, she's been doing Google alerts on her name and key words I guess.

"As for the other discussion forum that you provided the link to, I've just now checked it out. I've never seen it before, and have no intensions of visiting it again. But I see that they've quoted an individual whose comments I have seen before and who, for whatever his reasons are, pretends to know my story...which he does not. Everything he has stated about me is a falsehood, and it is because of his statements that I've found it necessary to do a Google Alert. While we are still deciding what to do about this individual, I will leave all of you with this one piece of advice: in this country we have laws to protect people from defamation of character."

Unfortunately for her those laws only work for people with legitimate complaints. I believe her allowing people to believe she served as an SF soldier proves her lack of character.

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved. - Confucius

Re: The "only female ever to earn the Green Beret"

Wilder is allegedly the only female to have ever been given a certificate of completion for Special Forces, or for that matter been allowed to attend the school. This happened in the 80s.

Basically it was a mistake compounded by her conduct, which led to a court trial. This led to a bigger mistake made in an attempt to put the first mistake behind and close the incident forever. Of course there's more detail but I don't have the time for it right now.

Long story short she earned nothing and does not have the respect of the people who would have been her peers if she'd earned anything.

Recently Wilder has been getting political and touting her career in the Special Forces.

No shit the QPs have been watching this develop for some time. Now with this going to court it should get very interesting.

So she is the historical figure that gave them the idea for GI Jane? I knew it had to be true and that "The Man" was just keeping it quiet. So working as an SF Support Soldier makes you a "Special Forces" Soldier? So using that logic since I was on a detail at the SERE School as an Aggressor that makes me a SERE Instructor....Correct?

Last edited by yrualeg; 05-07-2008 at 04:42 AM.

Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother, my sisters, and my brothers. Lo, there do I see the line of my people, Back to the beginning! Lo, they do call to me. They bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla! Where the brave may live forever!

Re: The "only female ever to earn the Green Beret"

I dropped outta Q due a medical issue....so can I go back and appeal and get my longtab now?

The bitch cheated. She got caught and was booted.

Using her logic, if you cheat on your medical boards, get caught and get booted, does that give you the right to go back in a few years, say it was a mistake, and since you completed all of the training you should be able to doctor?

Re: The "only female ever to earn the Green Beret"

Originally Posted by Itchee96

Seriously, youre telling me that women actually did go through with the training then, because I have never heard of that before.

She was in the course, an incident got her booted, she went to court. To my understanding from those whose word I do not question, it was decided to give her a certificate of completion send her on her way and put the mess to rest. Two other men involved in the incident took the punishment and went on, as far as I know, to other things in the Army.

But yes, Wilder got a certificate and a beret. But according to the people who should know, no she never earned it as in, she didn't attend every day of the course, meet every standard of the course or adhere to testing standards.

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved. - Confucius